Parliament set to consider prisoners’ right to vote

Parliament is set to decide this week whether prisoners should have the vote, it has been reported.

Currently, prisoners in the UK do not have the right to vote – but this policy has been judged as unlawful by The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Parliament is set to decide on prisoners’ voting rights, but David Cameron has made it clear he does not want to reinstate them (Pic: PA)

Officials in Strasbourg have set Friday as the deadline by which the government must comply with the ruling.

This is not the first time the Commons has considered the issue, with MPs last February voting 234 to 22 for the blanket ban to remain in place.

Furthermore, prime minister David Cameron is known to be against giving prisoners back their voting rights.

The draft bill will give MPs three different options. They will be able to vote for people who have been in jail for four years or less to get the vote, for people who have been in prison for six months or less, or for no prisoners at all.

If the government refuses to comply with the ruling, the ECHR could fine it.

However, Mr Cameron told the Commons last month: ‘I do not want prisoners to have the vote, and they should not get the vote – I am very clear about that.

‘If it helps to have another vote in Parliament on another resolution to make it absolutely clear and help put the legal position beyond doubt, I am happy to do that.

‘But no one should be in any doubt: prisoners are not getting the vote under this government.’